Month: February 2018

Going Keto Doesn’t Mean No Dessert

*This post may contain affiliate links, please check my disclosure.

Happy Monday everyone, sorry I am blogging so late but it’s been a busy Monday here on the patio. After a pleasant weekend celebrating Dave and Sean’s birthdays, visiting with family and friends, and enjoying delicious food, I needed to get busy before the rain returns. It’s been a beautiful, warm, sunny day so after kitchen duties, I needed to work in the yard a bit and clean up my beds, and get rid of an abundance of clover that had taken over. And did I tell you, I made truffles? More on that in a moment.

Dave with his birthday present from SeanThe other birthday boy, Sean, with his brothers Chris and Josh and Josh’s girlfriend Chasity

I’m working from my new laptop, made possible by my hubby Dave and Apple support! See, I had to figure out why I could not retrieve my mail before I could start working on this machine. My Mac was nice, but Dave decided that I would like the new laptop better because it uses the windows platform. Well, I guess we will see, first I have to get used to a new keyboard, a new way of doing things, and figure out where everything is located on this new machine. Then, I had to work on the website itself, get SiteGround on here so everyone knows what great hosting I have and how you can too, and then Apple had to help me fix my email, which they did, and now I’m all set! I’m a happy camper at the moment.

This morning was very busy in the kitchen as usual. I made our egg cups for the week, boiled some eggs for later use in salads or just a quick breakfast or lunch, and then I made the most delicious version of No-Bake Almond Joy CheesecakeTruffles. Can you believe they are Keto? Wait until you taste them, it really is miraculous they taste so good. Mine are a little bit different because I was out of Vanilla extract, so I used Orange and Almond extracts instead. I followed a recipe I pinned from Mouthwatering Motivation. Super simple, and if I hadn’t used orange extract, it really would have tasted like an Almond Joy! Ya’ll understand that clicking on the link will take you to her Pinterest page right? Cool! I personally LOVE the chocolate/orange taste sensation, but if you don’t, then just stick to her recipe. Now I will have a snack ready to grab when other people are eating dessert. Or when I’m tired of fat bombs or need a change of pace. After this weekend, I need to get back on track. 😉

Guys, these are seriously yummy!Fresh from the freezer and ready to devour!

After kitchen work was yard work, I wasn’t about to waste this beautiful day inside writing all day when the rain will soon return. I literally filled a garbage can full of weeds, leaves, and clover. If I could have mowed, I would have! Before you ask, Dave would have a fit, that’s why! I even took my outer shirt off for a little while (gasp!) it was that warm while working hard. The minute I came in, cleaned up, and got busy writing, I became cold again, so I had to close all the windows and put my shirt back on. 🙁

Not perfect but better after weed removal

I hope you’ll try the truffles and that your Monday was enjoyable if not productive. Shoot me a question or comment and thanks for stopping by the patio!

*Disclosure: Mentions of associated products, services, or businesses within the content of this blog may or may not be noted as an affiliate in every reference. I only choose to promote products, services, or businesses that I trust.

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I had a deliciously simple breakfast this morning that anyone can try if you like the combination of eggs and avocado. They are called avocado nests or cups and the recipe is so easy a child could make it (if properly supervised, of course!) I’m sharing mine off of Pinterest at Add a Pinch’s blog. (click the link for pics and the recipe)

Avocado Egg Nests

All you do is halve an avocado, scoop out the center a little bit where the pit used to be, crack an egg in each half, salt, pepper and if you’re like me, add some grated cheese. Place the halves in an oven-safe baking dish, pop them into a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes and BOOM! You have a quick, easy, delicious breakfast to go with your coffee! I only ate one half and now I’m wishing I had done two! Oh well, there’s always lunch!

We always try to eat farm-raised eggs and not buy eggs from the store. Luckily, my hubby Dave has a source where he works that provides him with plenty of fresh eggs-We eat A LOT of eggs. Egg cups, bacon, and eggs, avocado nests, boiled eggs for breakfast or adding to salads…like I said. They are a great, easy protein source-6g each that can be grabbed and eaten on the run, or incorporated into other recipes.

Avocados are one of the “good” fats you need to be eating when you’re on a keto diet. They are low carb (1/2 is 1g carb) and 10.5g fat and 1.5g protein. So, my macros for this morning’s breakfast were approximately 7.5g protein, 52.5g of fat, and 2g of carbs. Lunch should be mostly concentrated on protein or skipped altogether for me to balance out just right for the day. Ideally, my daily macros should be 66g of protein, 65g of fat, and 25g of carbs based on my Keto Calculator. If you would like to figure out yours, just click on the link and follow the easy directions. The plug-in your values site gives you the values you need to strive for to obtain your goals, whether it be weight loss or maintaining ketosis.

If you’ve never tried them, give them a shot and let me know what you think! Avocados and eggs are a heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth combination, I’m betting you’ll love it!

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A couple of you said you’d like to hear how it was to deliver flowers for Bice’s Florist on the 13th and 14th of this month. Well, before I regale you with that tale, know in advance that I signed up for this voluntarily, so don’t view what I’m about to say as griping or complaining, just stating the facts from a petite woman’s point of view.

Imagine if you will, that you are a small woman of stature, say about four foot nine inches tall, weighing in at about 107lbs and recovering from neck surgery back in December. (I only include that so you understand my strength is not back to 100% yet). Nothing in our little part-time-flower-deliverer-class prepared me for the challenges I would face on these two days, or what an adventure it would turn out to be.

The first day I arrived thirty minutes early because I incorrectly figured that the earlier we got there, the more time we would have to familiarize ourselves with our load, where we were going, and maybe even get the first spot for the best routes. Ha! I and one other gentleman stood around freezing outside the back delivery area waiting until they had all the self-drivers (those taking their own vehicles) loaded and off. When we were finally made aware that we could have been inside the warm warehouse, we were a little miffed, yet still excited about the prospect of a good route. I was given a rental van, showed nothing at all about it, and sent off on what the dispatcher said was an “all over” route. I decided I was game for anything and went to check my load.

When I located my van, (a Grand Caravan van) it was chock full of roses and other beautiful flower arrangements, three arrangements (usually) to a long box with a small hole cut in it so they would stand upright. They were mid-to-full of water and seemed stable enough. I checked the names on my trip sheet, noticed they were all in the Ft Worth area and took off full of optimism that I would knock em out and go back for another run.

That most certainly did not happen and this is why. As a “petite” person, I literally had to climb inside the van, hover over a particular arrangement and then carefully wrestle it out of the box, while not grabbing it by the lip of the vase since we were told in class that they might break. You had to do this in a way that would not break any flowers because that is a no-no. Most every time, the arrangement next in line on my route was in the middle of the long box, making it near impossible for me to accomplish-but I did it! Once the flower was out, I had to manage it, the keys, and a clipboard and make my way into the residence or business and make my delivery, get a signature, write down the time, and rush off to the next one. A piece of cake, right?

Many times the arrangement was almost half the size of my body, making it difficult for the recipient to even see me walking in. I was rather dismayed at many of the reactions of those receiving flowers like it was no big deal or special thing to them, but a few did act appreciative and that made me smile. Anyway, the third run of the first day took me on an unnecessary thirty-minute side trip to Grand Prairie because of a miscommunication about the address. Even after I found the correct address, the person the arrangement was going to did not work there. Turned out she worked at Alliance Airport which is a good way from where I was. I decided to do her last. I wound my way through Ft Worth, Keller, and Roanoke and realized when I got to that last run, I was low on gas, my phone was dead (my GPS-I had taken off with the wrong kind of car charger) and I would not be able to make it there and back to the shop. So I called the dispatch and he told me just to come on in, they would work something out. Since it took me from 8:30 to 1:30 to do that first run, the boss said if I was coming back tomorrow, I could go on home, they didn’t have that many left to deliver anyway. That was day one.

Day two started at exactly 8am with a much warmer forecast (thank God) and a downtown destination-I was not happy about this but figured I would be ok, I had the right kind of charger now, and knew I had plenty of gas to make this trip. What I didn’t count on was unwieldy arrangements, too full of water and not loaded properly in the van. Every time I hit a bump (and there were many) or took off from sitting at a light (no matter how carefully) the flowers would tip over, spilling water and God forbid, threatening breakage. I don’t remember how many times I stopped to rearrange the load, but it just kept happening. One arrangement was in a bag, along with a teddy bear and some chocolate, thankfully they were each in their own plastic wrap. After the cardboard the flower was standing in became soaked, it simply would not stand up for any movement of the van, so I decided I needed to get that one delivered as soon as possible.

Then there was the delivery that took me to a boarded-up house in a less-than-desirable neighborhood and I was very brave to get out of the van, go around the back and locate someone who told me I was on the wrong end of the street. I considered myself so lucky to have found nice people to help me, that when I found the correct address (on the other side of town) and made the delivery, I didn’t feel bad accepting my one and only tip. Somehow, I made all my deliveries and went back to the shop for another load. By this time I was tired but still felt able to do more, so I was super happy to get a run in my own neck-of-the-woods. What I wasn’t prepared for were several more HUGE arrangements which I miraculously managed to get unharmed, out of the van and delivered. My arms, neck, and shoulders were sore from the exertion of that, and my thighs were sore from then crouching down with the arrangement, before wiggling my way back out of the van because of my stupid knee. Gone are the days when I could simply have jumped in and out of the van.

One of my last two deliveries was a beautiful orchid arrangement when the lady opened the front door and saw them, she just about lost it she was so surprised and happy. That really made my day! One other lady previous to that delivery offered to give me a tip, I declined it and then was happy I did because her little dog ran out the front door and into the street! Luckily, a nice man working at a house nearby caught the little guy and held him until she walked over there to pick him up. My last delivery of the day was to a house which the recipient had not been at home the first time I tried. I called and left messages, but they were never answered. At last, I found a neighbor willing to take them for her, I left a tag on her door telling her where to pick them up and went back to the shop. By this time I was exhausted, it was close to 5pm, and I said that I was sorry, I just could not close the tailgate on that van one more time. Reaching up to my fullest height, pulling the heavy tailgate down and then wrestling to push it closed had taken a toll on my right arm, neck, and shoulder. When I got home, Dave asked me if there hadn’t been a button I could have pushed and it closes itself, I said if so, no one ever showed me and I would be so mad if I found out now!

I was still sore this morning but after a hot bath and some chia pudding for breakfast, I feel like a new woman! One thing that surprised me, I was never really hungry over those two days, I took a boiled egg, a cheese stick and some nuts the first day and ate the nuts and the cheese stick on the run. The second day, I took a “peeled” boiled egg with some salt and pepper and a few pork skins and was able to eat that on the run and both days I felt full and satisfied. That’s the thing with Keto, you are less hungry with less food, my problem is I’m always cold. I also have a problem eating enough fat. It is working though, I’m down to 107lbs from 115, and my clothes are starting to fit better. I loosely enter my food on a keto calculator and it helps me somewhat manage my macros.

Well, there you have it, a day in the life, what do you think? Should I volunteer again for Mother’s day deliveries? Maybe I will be over all of my soreness and have built up some more strength by then, we’ll just have to wait and see. Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by the patio!

The flowers my hubby got me plus two bonus flowers from my day of deliveries

Ok, a little confession, I did have two episodes of breakage, I decided to be completely honest about the whole thing and both recipients were more than understanding. 🙂

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Being rattled out of your sleep by the ear-piercing noises your hubby makes while getting ready in the morning sets the tone for a grouchy morning, as I have found out on numerous occasions. He has no regard for my “disability” or “condition” or whatever one wants to label it, as he slams drawers in the bathroom, and makes me wish everything in the kitchen was rubberized, so it would mask the sound of metal silverware clanking in the stainless steel sink…setting my teeth on edge in the process. ( Followers will remember that I have acute tinnitus and hyperacusis) Even with me closing my ears off with my fingers doesn’t help, the sound comes through and now I’m up as well.

I rise to start my day only after finishing last night’s reading of a weirdly good story in The New Yorker’s Sunday edition called Tits Up in a Ditch by Annie Proulx. It’s a long read that has also probably lent a bit of melancholy to my mood, making me want to walk around the house talking like a country hick in the back of my mind. The story is from 2008, yet they saw it fit to include in their War-Torn issue yesterday and after reading it, I totally understand why.

The main character of the story, Dakotah

Click on the link if you’d like to find out for yourself.

After making my coffee, feeding the dogs and gathering up the laundry I will start once the temps are above freezing (call me old school), I go ahead and make my hubby’s egg cups, tasty morsels cooked in a muffin tin lovingly thrown together by combining 5 large eggs, a bit of heavy cream, a generous pinch of mixed shredded cheese, chopped up grape tomatoes and broccoli, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, and nutritional yeast flakes for that cheesy, nutty flavor. Pre-cooked bacon is the meat of choice, pulled from the freezer, crumbled and nuked and then tossed in right before placing the muffin tin on a small baking tray and carefully transported to the oven. These make for a delicious and nutritious, portable breakfast for him for the week. He doesn’t know they fit the bill for a quick Keto breakfast.

Now that the eggs are done, I am free to take on the writing for the day, whatever that will be before I decide I need a break and go take a drive to the post office, do some housework, or tackle that crochet project I started last night. I also boiled myself some eggs for the week for snacks or a bit of protein to add to my salad later on. It will be an extremely busy week for me, a change of pace, and I’m at once nervous and excited. I am delivering Valentine’s Day flowers for Bice’s Florist on Tuesday and Wednesday, then helping Ms. Stephanie out on Thursday. When I first awoke this morning my thought was “I really need to start sleeping in the guest room during the week” but this week, it would not even matter since I will be getting up at the same time as David all week.

I will just resign myself to the fact that it will be a blow-and-go week and try to get my ducks all in a row to ensure I’m not headed out the door half-cocked each morning, it’s not like I’ll be able to come back to the house if I forget something. I need to remember to take a car charger for my phone so I can operate my maps feature while looking for the addresses of my deliveries, something portable to eat myself, so my diet isn’t thrown out of wack, and a small flashlight, so I can check my list against the flowers that are pre-loaded into a waiting van in the morning bright and early. This may be the only writing day I will have unless I get a little done Friday morning…I plan to ask Dad if he would like to do lunch and hang out since I will miss our normal day for that.

Now my coffee has gone cold, I am off to re-heat it and grab myself an egg or an egg cup, then get busy doing what I do. I hope you all have an inspired Monday and I’ll plan on talking to you again on Friday. So long, from the patio!

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